LL Cool J, Native Tongues reunion among additions to Rock The Bells lineup

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The 2023 Rock The Bells Festival announced new editions to its lineup. LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip, Brand Nubian, and Lost Boyz have joined the bill, and the Jungle Brothers, will participate in a big Native Tongues celebration.

The Jungle Brothers are slated to join previously announced festival artists Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Monie Love and Black Sheep as part of a big reunion of artists from the Native Tongues, the Afrocentric, eclectic hip-hop collective who, along with A Tribe Called Quest, broke new ground in hip-hop and rap during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“We are thrilled to have the Native Tongues collective grace the stage at Rock The Bells Festival along with Brand Nubian and Lost Boyz,” said James Cuthbert, president of Rock The Bells, in a statement. “Their music has had a profound impact on the culture for decades, and their reunion promises a historic moment” for fans of hip-hop.

LL Cool J, CEO of Rock The Bells, Brand Nubian and Lost Boyz are now scheduled to perform on Aug. 5 at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City’s Queens borough. Ludacris, Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, Smif-N-Wessun, Big Daddy Kane, Boot Camp Clik featuring Buckshot and Evil Dee, Cold Crush Brothers, Roxanne Shanté, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, MC Sha-Rock, Swizz Beatz with special guests, and Method Man & Redman, are all in the lineup.

The festival falls near the 50th anniversary of hip-hop on Aug. 11.

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“It’s a special year for the culture and for Rock The Bells in curating this experience, bringing together the icons of Hip-Hop,’ said LL Cool J in a statement. “I’m doing this for Queens, for NYC, and for the hip-hop culture. There’s no better place for me to perform during this moment in Hip-Hop than my hometown.” He called the festival “a testament to the power of the culture that changed the world.”

The Rock The Bells Festival will be succeeded by a week’s worth of events, activations and more in celebration of hip-hop’s milestone anniversary. Fans can follow the Rock The Bells newsletter for more information on the activations. Tickets are available via axs.com.